Episode. 48: Fireball Succession
is the forty-eighth episode of Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger. It is the first part of Dekaranger's three-part-endgame. Synopsis After being recruited into joining the elite S.P.D. Fire Squad, Ban begins to wonder whether the Dekaranger of Earth can do without him. While Tetsu plans to prove he can take over Ban's role on the team, a body-manipulating Alienizer begins Abrella's final plan for their downfall. Plot Following the previous episode, Ban has been accepted as a Fire Squad member, a truly honorable moment for the Earth Branch. However, Ban is concerned about how the others will do without him. After getting some encouragement that they’ll be fine, he chooses Umeko as leadership but leaves Hoji as leader. Outside the DekaBase, Ban has a talk with Tetsu about despite how everyone is professional, there should be someone on the team who knows when to take necessary risks like him. Tetsu vows that he’ll become the new fireball on the team. After the discussion, Ban is laying by a river, wondering if Tetsu can do what he promises, when he sees a robber who stole a car from a man. After chasing down the thief, Ban is surprised at his claims that he's not doing it, right before shooting himself. Looking over the body, Ban sees something crawl out of the thief's back which leaps at him. When the others arrive, Ban is mysteriously quiet and holding an illegal 9 KoKo Capsule. Without saying a word, he drives off. Shocked, Hoji and Tetsu chase after him while the others look over the body of the thief and discover that he had been controlled by a criminal called Jellyfish, whose species can invade bodies and bond with their nerves, a crime that is outlawed everywhere. Ban has become Jellyfish's victim, with Jellyfish gagging Ban so he can't say anything. After getting briefed Hoji and Tetsu stop Ban's car and force Jellyfish to show himself. Using Ban's body, Jellyfish attacks them with Ban's powers. However, upon hitting one of Jellyfish's tentacles, they see that Ban reacts in pain. The others arrive and Jellyfish explains that his nerves are merged with Ban's, so anything one feels, the other will too. What's more, the moment Jellyfish leaves Ban's body, his heart will stop and he'll die. Jellyfish explains that he wants to make Earth his summer home by flooding it by causing an explosion with the KoKo Capsule, an act he has already done nine times. Unable to fight back without hurting Ban, Jellyfish overwhelms them before hijacking Tetsu's bike and head to the location where Abrella has set up the detonator. Chasing Jellyfish out to the shore, the rest of the team hesitate to shoot him for fear of killing Ban, despite Ban's insistence that it needs to be done. Recalling his promise that he'll be the new fireball on the team, Tetsu transforms and uses his BraceThrottle to stop Ban's heart and force Jellyfish out, much to the others' disbelief. Jellyfish attempts to hijack Tetsu's body, but he manages to stop him using Fire Fist. The others mourn over Ban's body, knowing that Tetsu did what needed to be done, but still didn't like it. Much to their shock, Tetsu uses his BraceThrottle like a defibrillator and restarts Ban's heart, to the relief of the others, who chide Tetsu for such a reckless plan, saying that was just like Ban. Seeing that Tetsu has kept his word, Ban has no problem with joining the Fire Squad. At that moment, however, Jellyfish, having survived Tetsu's Fire Fist, appears in a giant robot, forcing the Dekarangers to summon their vehicles all the way out to the shore, an act that Abrella wanted them to do. The Dekarangers form Riding Dekaranger Robo and then Super Dekaranger Robo and do battle with Jellyfish. At the same time, Abrella launches his ultimate plan: with the Dekarangers out of the base, he uses a giant drilling machine to invade the Dekabase with his entire army of mecha humans. At the same time, the Dekarangers use Judgement Time on Jellyfish for his crimes of body theft, murder, and destroying planets, to which his deletion is approved. Before the Dekarangers can finish him off with Gatling Punch, however, they are called by Swan about the invasion on Dekabase. While they are distracted, Jellyfish uses the opening to launch a vicious barrage at the Dekarangers. At the same time, DekaMaster runs down to the lobby where he is confronted by Abrella's army. What will happen next? Find out in the next episode of Dekaranger. Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : Guest Cast * : * : Notes *As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 49, , the final episode of the series. Thre next week onwards, Dekaranger aired alongside . Digital releases Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger Volume 12 features episodes 46-50, the 2005 section of the series.http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/dekaren.html The third volume of the Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger Blu-Ray Box Set comes with episodes 33-50. References See Also Category:Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger Category:Sentai episodes Category:Written by Michiko Yokote Category:Revived Sentai Ranger Episode